Analyst and others say Airbus likely will get tanker deal

A new report from The Seattle Times indicates Boeing executives, after evaluating Air Force data inadvertently sent to both companies vying for the next generation aerial refueling tanker, are giving up hope of landing the lucrative military contract.

An analyst who favors the Boeing bid, and unnamed congressional sources, say Airbus is likely to get the estimated $35 billion contract based on how the Air Force scored the two aircraft on mission-effectiveness ratings known as IFARA -- Integrated Fleet Aerial Refueling Assessment.

The full story, which first appeared in Monday editions of the Times, can be found by here.